Will Smith 2.0

After more than two decades away from music, Will Smith—the A-list actor and hip-hop legend—is back with Based On A True Story – Season 1: Rave In The Wasteland, an album that blends personal reflection, cinematic storytelling, and raw vulnerability. For an artist whose career has spanned multiple generations, this latest chapter isn’t just about getting back into the music mix—it’s about rediscovering himself. 

For Smith, Based On A True Story is showing of his personal growth; he describes his journey as unfolding rather than a single moment of inspiration. After dedicating three years to intense self-exploration, including therapy, solitude and deep introspection, he found himself confronting parts of his identity that had been buried for years. “I realised that in growing up and becoming ‘Will Smith’, there were certain parts of my personality that people clapped for,” he tells me over Zoom. “So I decided I was only going to be those things the people celebrated. But all the other parts of me—the ones that felt sadness, anger or fatigue—became prisoners. I wasn’t allowed to express them, even to myself.” That realisation led him to embrace his full self, imperfections and all: “Everything you’re looking for is in the place inside yourself that you most don’t want to go,” he says, emphasising the importance of facing one’s fears instead of suppressing them.

One of the most unique aspects of Based On A True Story is its structure. Smith approached the album as if it were a television series, with Season 1 laying the foundation for future releases. “Every song is based on a real experience,” he shares. “It’s much more like a TV show than a music project.” The album’s opening track, “Interior – Barbershop Day”, pays homage to Coming To America and sees him embodying multiple characters, adding a theatrical element to his storytelling. The album also features introspective and deeply personal tracks, like “You Can Make It”, which unexpectedly became a No. 1 gospel hit.

With his return to music, Smith has also found himself back in the cultural conversation in unexpected ways. A recent viral moment involving Doechii’s track, “Anxiety”—which pays tribute to an iconic Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air scene—reminded him of the simplicity of joy. “Sometimes I get deep into analysis and philosophy, but Doechii reminded me of that raw, fun energy,” he says. As for what’s next, Smith is far from done; he’s already recorded Season 2 of Based On A True Story and hopes to release multiple projects this year. But if there’s one thing he wants listeners to take away from his journey, it’s the power of embracing life’s challenges.

In an exclusive conversation with Complex UK, Will Smith opens up about the creative explosion that led to his return, the personal battles he’s faced, and how his new music serves as both a cathartic release and a bold, artistic statement.

COMPLEX: I read your memoir, WILL, two years ago and I was absolutely hooked! I’ve been doing therapy for a while now and I’ve used your book as a reference in a lot of instances. Some of the concepts really resonated with me, and I would love to dive into that.
Will Smith: Oh, sure! I love that.

In a recent interview with Big Boy, you mentioned that something sparked in you creatively during the time you wrote your memoir—what was that exact moment, and why?
It wasn’t a single moment—it was more like an unfolding, a recognition. New thoughts just showed up around old concepts. You know, I did a really focused three years of internal work, tons of reading, retreats, and solitude. Silence was a big thing for me. The courage to be quiet, to sit alone without distractions—no phone, no books, no computers, just sitting with your mind. That’s where the real clarity comes. I realised that in growing up and becoming “Will Smith”, there were certain parts of my personality that people clapped for. So I decided I was only going to be those things the people celebrated. But all the other parts of me—the ones that felt sadness, anger or fatigue—became prisoners. I wasn’t allowed to express them, even to myself. So the big shift happened when I started being honest, asking myself: “How do I really feel? What do I really want?” Instead of, “How do I need to be for people to like me?”

I feel like a lot of people adopt survival personalities from childhood. Would you agree?
Exactly. As kids, we learn that if we don’t behave a certain way, we won’t get love, or worse: we might get punished. So we suppress the parts of us that aren’t “acceptable.” But they don’t stay buried forever. One day, they come back sometimes as anxiety, illness or outbursts. For me, the last three years have been about facing all of that head-on. I had to make friends with my fear, sadness, anger and confusion. And from that space, new art emerged. The parts of me I once rejected turned out to have deep gifts—gifts of expression and connection. So when someone tells me, “That’s triggering,” I get it. I know that feeling. And I’d say to anyone: everything you’re looking for is in the place inside yourself that you don’t want to go to the most.

Wow! My therapist might be out of a job after this. This isn’t a therapy session, Will! [Laughs]
[Laughs] We’re not doing therapy today!

Your new album, Based On A True Story – Season 1: Rave In The Wasteland, feels like a conceptual body of work, almost like a TV series. Was that always the vision, or did it evolve organically?
It evolved. With my book, I told my story in a way I never had before, and I realised I wanted to do the same with my music. Every song on the album is based on a real experience, which made me think this isn’t just a music project, it’s a series. So I structured it like a TV show. This first batch of songs is Season 1, called Rave In The Wasteland. I already have Season 2 ready to go—I can’t wait to release it. My goal is to put out three projects this year.

What’s the meaning behind Rave In The Wasteland?
It’s about learning to celebrate even in our hardest times. It’s about recognising adversity as a divine curriculum. There’s wisdom in suffering, a cracking open of our hearts. We often think, “I’m struggling because I’m doing something wrong.” But that’s not it: life is hard, and Rave In The Wasteland is about embracing that dancing through the difficulty, celebrating even in the midst of struggle.

What’s your favourite episode—sorry, track on the album?
“Interior – Barbershop Day”. It’s inspired by Coming To America, the barbershop scene. I play multiple characters, Jazzy Jeff plays one, and B. Simone plays another. They’re all talking about me, and I even play a character that’s mad at me! It’s like rapping meets acting as an homage to one of my favourite movie moments. I had so much fun making that one.

What was the most difficult track to create?
“You Can Make It”. That was the first song I put out, and it became a No. 1 gospel record in America, which I wasn’t expecting. That song hit me deeply because it represented a huge shift for me. The old Will Smith rejected sadness; I didn’t allow it around me. But “You Can Make It” was my first real recognition that everyone is struggling. Every single person you pass on the freeway, in the supermarket, at work—everyone’s carrying something heavy. So that song was a moment of acceptance for me. Instead of rejecting hardship, I learned to sit with it, acknowledge it, and find strength in it.

Here’s a tough one—is Will the person proud of Will the brand?
Well, you can’t really be proud of a brand. You can, but you shouldn’t be. A brand is an idea, like ice cream—it’s something people enjoy. But a man, that’s something real. And the man is unbreakable. The brand? That can fall apart. The man is ten toes down. There’s a song on the album called “Bulletproof” that touches on this, about letting go of the pressure to sustain an image. I don’t want to hold up something that isn’t real. I want to be fully me.

How do you feel about the Doechii “Anxiety” trend, with everyone recreating that Fresh Prince scene?
Man, that was 35 years ago! The second episode of The Fresh Prince! It’s crazy to see it resonate again. For me, it’s a reminder of the simplicity of joy. Sometimes I get deep into analysis and philosophy, but Doechii reminded me of that raw, fun energy. Spending time with her was like seeing my younger self, the kid who made that scene up all those years ago. It reignited something in me—a clarity about the joy that has always been at the core of my artistry.

Finally, any advice for the UK audience?
I want to tell you, Mimi, that whatever it is, you can make it. I want you to know you got it! I want you to know that your difficulties will be your testimony. Whatever it is, is going to be why you’re stronger, and more powerful, and more able to serve. So, whatever it is, embrace it.

I think you’re gonna make me cry [laughs]. Thank you so much, Will. That means a lot.